Improvement in water-meters



niet jljlra -Letters Patent No. 102,976, dated May 10, 1810. Y

IMPROVEMENT in WATER-METERS.

' The ySiezdiedaile referred to 1n these Lei-:ters Patent and making part ofthe same.

To all Iwhom it may concern Beit known that I, GERARD SICKELS, of Boston,`

in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Tater-Meter Valve; and

I do hereby declare that the following -is a full, clear,

'and exact description of the 'construction and opera'- tion of the same, reference be'ing had to the accompa- Dying drawings and letters oi' reference marked thereon making a part of this specification, in whieh Fligurevl is a plan view of ease showing plan view of my improvements;

igure 2 is a vertical sect-ion on linegx x of iig. l; an

Figures 3, 4, md5-are detail views.

This invention is an improvement upon valve patented by myself September 21, 1869.

I find that, while the valve patented as above works well, and is correct under ordinary circumstances, yet, in certain specific uses to which I put it, in a water-meter, for instance, it is desirable to have more positive as well as greater certainty f action.

Mywpresent invention, so far as the mov ment and. construction of the valve, and its-relation to ports,

-and its functions are concerned, is the same as the.

one represented in my patent above menticncd, but it has for its object the renderingpf the action oftheI valve more certain and positive.

l `While in theorythe construction of the old valve is correct, inpractice it is faulty,'for the action is too uncertain; .for there is danger of the valve resting4 while the lever is directly under its center. This will more fully appear hereafter.

My invention consists in a swivel surface supplied to the under side of the balance-valve,'and a post swiveled at the bottom, but moving at the top, and provided with a rolling or smooth top, and playing between the jaws of posts upon each side, which. latter are moved from side to side by the valve-stem, and,

moving againstthe ange of post or lever, carry the latter against the swivel under the valve, raising thc` valve and its-ease, opening and closing the ports. In the ,drawings-y4 4 v A is the valve-chesawith exhaustfpipe B and passages a a leading to the endsof a cylinder, and inlet- `pipe O at the top. f

`openings in ends of 'block D.

The lower side oi'v valve E isprovided with swivel S, concave on its under side.

www

L is a post, oscillating in pivot p, situated between the lin'e of the valve-stem G; this lever is provided with a roller or convex surface, i.

H is a fla-rue, to the sides of which attach the valve-stem.

The ends of frame H are provided with arms m. m, which guide and actuate, by movfemept'of valve-stem G, the oscillating vpost L.

'The three last parts, that is`,'the swivel S, post orl lever L, and frame H, constitute the essential features of my improvement.

Operation'.

Steam or water being admitted 4at() will enter, through b, the sliding block D, and' pass through theport c and passage a into the cylinder, when it.

valve E to drop quickly toward port c', until arrested by the sides of the recess "in f, striking against pro- 4jectionsg of block 1),.thns reversing the position of the valve, and permitting the steam or water to enter through port c into passage a'. But the roller` surface t' must pass beyond the center of the valve E bef fore the pressure of steam or weight of water upon the upper side of valve, or balance of valve, will canse the depression necessary to close the port.

And it is in this latter connection that I found the old valve (before mentioned) to be uncertain in its action; for, if the pressure from the motor was slight, the

valve might rest upon the Centex', andthus defeat the object sought, in some'instances, especially 'in water- 'meters, when it is desired to register'the quantity ci water passing the valve; for there was so little friction to the valve that, while it rested upon the center, it might trip by-increas'ed motor1 Now, I overcome this defect by the introduction of-the swivel S,and'the .construct-ion of lever L as shown, and the use of frame H. The lever-L is pivoted at p, allowing its upper end to oscillate, as lshown and described.A

'lhe action and operation of the roller surface 'i upon the swivel S is peculiar and-importan't.- Take the positionof valve and lever shown in iig. 2. As soon as the lever starts, its roller surface comes against the edge of the swivel; as the lever advances, it raises the valve and block gradually; when the roller nearly reaches the center, the swivel S changes its relativeposition tothe valve, and its arm S bears against the under surface of valve, so that, at the time the roller is directly7 on the center, it is crowding against the side S' of swivel, while the swivel .assumes with the lever the condition of n, link or knuckle-joint, and is crowdinr with its joint S the valve E in the opposite direction from that being traversed bythe lever. The valve E does not move t-iil the side S of swivel comes in contact with the under surface of the valve E, nor

does the lever L travel the space between the jaws m till 'thevnlve starts. .But there is this advantage over n link 'or knuckle-joint proper: the devices shown do not possess the rigidity of the former, and,.of course, are susceptible of more delicate action.

The construction shown insures a continued movement of the valve' E, without the least possibility of o hait upon the center; for the jaws m m,.benrngL against the roiler journal t, ns long as there is the slightest movement of the piston bythe passage of the I eestemount of motor, the lever t must travel, and thev valve E opernteaccordingly. With this construction water may -d-rop only from the dischargepipe; still the valve will operate, and the quantity passing be accordingly registered by registering devices, which need not be explained.

The post L need not be provided with roller i, ns

shown, 'but the top may be :t convex surface to :t post in one piece.

Hoving thus fully described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The swivel S, in combination with valve E, substantially as described.

2. The combination of swivel S and valve E with lever or osciilating post L.

3. The combination of post or lever L with frame H, having shoulders or jaws fm. m, substantially ns set forth.

4. The combination of post L, frame H, and valve E, provided with swivel S, snbstnntiallyas set forth.

5. The combination of the lost combination with block D and valve-stem. Gr.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nmnc to this .specification in the presence of two subscribing wit- Bosses.

v(irEliARD SICKELS.

'Witnessesz I CARROLL D. WRIGHT, CHARLES F., BnoWN. 

